Austin sees huge surge in millennial population

Austin sees huge surge in millennial population

In what is probably not surprising news, Austin saw some of the biggest millennial migrations in the country from 2010 to 2015, according to a new report. Published by the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan research group, the report shows Austin is No. 6 among U.S. cities for attracting millennials.

The Austin area witnessed an 11.8 percent jump in its millennial population (age 18 to 34) from 2010 to 2015, says Brookings. Austin also had the second highest share of millennials (27.2 percent) among the country’s 100 largest metro areas by 2015. Only Utah's Provo-Orem area saw more young folks moving to town.

By comparison, our neighbors to the south in San Antonio experienced a 14.4 percent spike in its millennial population from 2010 to 2015. From a numeric standpoint, according to the report, the San Antonio area also gained the fifth most Hispanic millennials — 45,663 — from 2010 to 2015. Houston stood at fourth place in that category, with an influx of 48,875 Hispanic millennials from 2010 to 2015.

Here is how Texas’ other major metro areas stack up:

Dallas-Fort Worth had the sixth highest number of white millennials (720,776) in 2015.

Houston ranked first for the total number of white millennials gained (46,785) from 2010 to 2015, and DFW ranked second (31,965).

Houston had the seventh largest number of black millennials (300,845) in 2015. Meanwhile, DFW picked up the second highest number of black millennials (41,331) from 2010 to 2015, and Houston ranked third (40,107).

Houston had the third largest number of Hispanic millennials (665,537) in 2015, with DFW in seventh place (553,216).

Houston experienced the fourth largest influx of Asian millennials (29,759) from 2010 to 2015, and DFW stood in sixth place (27,314).

Texas is one of 10 states where racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half of the millennial population, the report says. These are the racial and ethnic breakdowns for millennials in Texas’ four largest metro areas.